Eiri: Love-Letters, Love Consummated: Fumi-no-kiyogaki. Von Richard Lane. The Complete Ukiyo-e Shunga. No. 9.

Gutes Ex.; Einband stw. minimal berieben. - Japanisch u. englisch. - . PL 2. With Eiri's second plate, we come upon an even more bizarre scene: in a tableau unrelated to Utamaro, a fair young harlot is seen masturbating with a grinding-pestle-as a man watches intently from under bedding, behind a screen. This plate, too, will perhaps perplex the art critic, if not the general reader. But a potentially awkward situation is indeed displayed here with great grace; and, after one has absorbed the situation-and reflected upon the fact that, these days at least, women have the perfect right to do anything that men do-it must be recognized that the artist has executed a most difficult commission with great skill. PL 3. The sha or black gauze outer-covering of a kimono is indeed one of the more pleasant features of a traditional Japanese summer; and here, the artist has effectively contrasted the lovers by depicting the man's face as seen through the geisha's gauze skirt. But for all its artistic efforts-or rather, perhaps because of them-the scene is rather lacking in real eroticism: we are impressed more by the strikingly elegant composition, the dramatic coloring, rather than feeling any great urge to participate in the energetic proceedings. There is, however, good reason for Eiri's predominantly decorative approach to this scene: for, it is one of those which owes the most in conceptualization to Utamaro. But in Utamaro's original, both figures' faces are hidden, and the female is a mature widow- with quite different effect; indeed, it takes some effort to figure out exactly what is going on within the tableau, (fig. 27) PL 4. This scene is a most straightforward one, featuring the standard Missionary Position; but withal, the contrast of the young and naked, secret lover and the richly-clothed courtesan amid luxurious bedding, cannot fail to draw the viewer inexorably into the world of romanticized sex in Old Japan. The lines are clean-cut, and there is nothing cloying about either the design or the situation, both of which are remarkably open and unrestrained. This print represents, indeed, one of the best in the series. (The related Utamaro tableau shows widow and older man covered with cloak-for a quite different effect; in fact, Eiri's indebtedness here is rather tenuous: see fig. 28.) PL 5. In a striking lesbian scene (which has no equivalent in Utamaro, and is, incidentally, often omitted in later editions of this album), the girl at left prepares to receive the harikata (dildo) worn by the older girl at right (who holds a seashell containing lubricant). Aside from the aforementioned "Nagasaki tableau" (PL 1) this is probably the most unusual print of the series and there are, indeed, collectors who favor it above all others. Eiri here deftly transforms one of the less conventional subjects of sexual art into a charming world of colorful fantasy � (Richard Lane) ISBN 430991019X